Republican politicians to reporters: “Please stop bugging me!”

“It’s not a fun moment to be a Republican member of Congress. You might be toiling to pass a terrific bill or amendment, and all we reporters want to ask you about is whatever Donald Trump said yesterday.” ~ Mike DeBonis

And how. Think of Paul Ryan, most prominent congressional Republican of all. After The Donald snatched the nomination from the #NeverTrump faction of the Republican party, reporters badgered Ryan: “Do you plan to endorse Trump? When will you endorse Trump? Why haven’t you endorsed Trump yet? What do you think about Trump?”

“Vote for me, you suckers.”

Well, Ryan should have kept his mouth shut. Shortly after the badgering began to fade away, he endorsed Trump.

What questions do reporters present to him now, after the usual slew of Trumpisms that cascade out of the nominee’s brain every day? They badger him with, “You’ve said Trump’s remarks are racist, and suggest they’re not fitting for a presidential nominee. Are you going to rescind your endorsement of Trump? When are you going to take a stand against this dangerous man? If you think he’s a racist, why haven’t you withdrawn your endorsement yet?”

Whether Ryan withdraws his endorsement, or stands by it, or qualifies it, what do you think reporters will ask him then? I can tell you, no matter what Ryan does, they won’t stop bothering him. Moreover, their questions won’t elicit Ryan’s thoughts about the Republican party’s future, because, in truth, reporters aren’t interested in that.

Update

Note from the photograph above that Trump subscribes to the politician’s most craven marketing symbol: the flag pin. These supposed leaders appropriate the revered symbol of our country to make us think they love their country just as much as we do. Yet if he gets into office, he’ll by Lyin’, Little, Crooked Donald.

He says he wants to make America great again. That after all is why he wants to be president. That suggests he wants to use the president’s powers, and government’s, to make America great. How likely is that? The last president who wanted to make America great, Ronald Reagan, said the only way to do that is to get government out of the way. I can tell you, when Donald Trump talks, he does not sound like Ronald Reagan.

Thank you for your comment! Now that Trump is in the White House, Ryan might show a little gumption, and separate himself from the president.

On a personal note, Ryan represents the area around Janesville, a city south of Madison, where I used to live. So I think I follow him more closely than I would otherwise. I think he’s trying to do his best, but he does not want to meet John Boehner’s fate.